COMMENT | It is a strange time for all of us. It is an extraordinary time. GE14 brought about a change in government. It brought down the behemoth Umno. And it enabled a coalition of several parties representing all the races of Malaysia to form a genuine multiracial government.

That coalition was led by a 92-year-old man. And part of the inspiration for that coalition was a man who sat in prison while his wife and daughter and other loyalists fought for his release from a conviction that was described in his pardon as a travesty of justice.

The 92-year-old man was the prime minister of the BN government for 22 years. Dr Mahathir Mohamad is credited with building our modern infrastructure and growing our economy - in the process expanding our manufacturing base. He was also blamed for extraordinary waste in pursuing imprudent adventures in trying to control or stabilise the price of tin, rubber and in currency speculation.

His foray into steel, wafer production and the Made-in-Malaysia car cost us billions. But it was his impatience to advance the nation rapidly that many believe resulted in weakened institutions and the elimination of checks and balances.

Mahathir did not like to be obstructed in his path to making us an industrial nation. He was ruthless with individuals or institutions that stood in his way. He ruled with an iron fist. He loved to quote Shakespeare – especially what one of his characters said - let us first kill the lawyers! He criticised judges for not implementing the law as Parliament drafted them.

The judges said that they enforced the law as it was written. It was during his time as prime minister that Salleh Abbas was removed as head of the judiciary and as judge. Salleh was regarded by all as an honest judge. And along with Salleh, five other judges were suspended and from that five, three were sacked. All of them were senior judges with impeccable records.

Mahathir amended the Federal Constitution to limit the power of judges. Judges would only have such power as was given to them by the legislature. Their powers would no more devolve from or through the Constitution. It was during his time that the infamous Operation Lalang took place and many leaders of the opposition were imprisoned without trial under the Internal Security Act.

Anointed successor started well, but...

Najib Abdul Razak, the son of our second prime minister, was his anointed successor. Najib started well but after the 1MDB debacle, things went downhill. As information about the loss or alleged theft of money from 1MDB began to be published in the foreign press and went viral on social media - all the agencies of government were used to obstruct any investigation and camouflage the truth.

A whole series of mega-projects were launched, and contracts made with inflated prices - the object ostensibly or allegedly to produce money that could be used to service and pay off debt incurred by 1MDB and guaranteed by the government.

In the meantime, the entire world witnessed or were entertained or horrified at the spectacle of a fat Chinese boy splurging hundreds of millions of dollars on expensive apartments in New York and Manhattan, the ultra-luxurious yacht called Equanimity, a private jet, expensive art including a Picasso, jewellery and handbags by Birken and Hermes and hosting extravagant champagne parties with famous actors and songstresses and other famous celebrities.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) of the United States investigated these strange happenings and then went after the assets, alleging that they were acquired by money stolen from 1MDB. Other governments followed suit - Hong Kong, Switzerland and Singapore.

In Malaysia, it was denial, denial and denial. Mahathir could take it no longer – he resigned from Umno, reconciled with old-time foes and eventually led the opposition to victory. He is now committed to rule by consensus, multiracial rule, the repeal of repressive legislation, and Institutional Reform to enhance democracy including the Rule of Law, the Doctrine of Separation of powers, free and fair elections, the elimination of corruption and an independent judiciary.

A truly extraordinary tale. The stuff of movies. Many of his detractors have swung over to his side. They love the transformed Mahathir. They worry about his health and pray for his long life. He is like a rock star! He is unquestioningly the most popular person in the country today.

But it is a difficult journey we now undertake. A perilous journey. The challenges are many. And expectations are high. The economy is fragile. And the cost of living remains a problem. While the support of the Malays is crucial, the continued accommodation of dominance as a political philosophy is no longer tenable. Every effort must be made for inclusiveness. The productivity of our workers must improve so that wages can rise.

Mahathir is perceived to be the only one now with the stature, experience and strength to walk the nation to true democratic reform. Today we celebrate his 93rd Birthday! Happy Birthday, Dr Mahathir Mohamad! We hope to celebrate many more of your birthdays. May God give you the health and strength and give you the time you need to give us the reforms that the nation so badly needs.

DAVID DASS is an observer of politics and a regular commentator in Malaysiakini.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.